The North Dakota Judicial System's policy is to provide for the qualifications, the extent
and assignment of authority, procedure and the conduct of the role of judicial referees within
the North Dakota Judicial System in each judicial district.

Section 3. Qualifications of Judicial Referees.

Minimum qualifications for a judicial referees includes:

(a) United States citizenship;

(b) physical residence in the judicial district of the appointment after appointment,
unless
physical residence is waived by the presiding judge of the judicial district; and

(c) a license to practice law in the state of North Dakota; or a juvenile supervisor/referee
meeting the requirements of N.D.C.C. § 27-20-06(i).

Section 4. Appointment.

The presiding judge, on behalf of all of the district court judges of the judicial district,
shallmust execute in writing the appointment of all judicial referees, to serve at the pleasure
of
the district court judges of the judicial district. Judicial referees must be compensated under
the personnel system of the North Dakota Judicial System

Section 5. Scope of Delegable Duties.

(a) A presiding judge, after consultation with the district court judges of the judicial
district, may authorize a judicial referee to preside in any individual or class of proceedings
under:

1.(1)Title 14 NDCCN.D.C.C. title 14,
except contested divorce trials;

2.(2)Chapter 27-20 NDCCN.D.C.C. ch.
27-20; and

3.(3)Chapter 28-25 NDCCN.D.C.C. ch.
28-25.

(b) A judicial referee has such other authority of a district court judge as is necessary to
carry out the delegated duties, including the issuance of orders to show cause, temporary
restraining orders, temporary injunctions, and the power to impose remedial sanctions for
contempt of court.

(c) The order issued under Subsection (a) of this section must be reduced to writing and
signed by the presiding judge of the judicial district. The order must be filed with the clerk
of district court of each county of the judicial district. The presiding judge shallmust send
a copy of this document to the State Court Administrator. A copy must be made available
to any party upon request.

(d) Within the limits set forth in the written order of the presiding judge, district court
judges may refer individual cases or classes of cases to a judicial referee by written order.

(e) After July 1, 1987, a judicial referee who hears matters under N.D.C.C. ch. 27-20 may
not exercise supervision of personnel who supervise juveniles.

Section 6. Geographical Jurisdiction.

Each judicial referee shallwill have jurisdiction only within the
judicial district of
appointment and is expected to maintain an office as assigned by the presiding judge of the
judicial district. A judicial referee may be appointed to temporary duty in another judicial
district by the presiding judge of the judicial district, with the consent of the presiding judge
of the receiving judicial district or by the chief justice under N.D. Const. art. VI, § 3.

Section 7. Proceedings on the Record.

Proceedings must be heard on the record.

Section 8. Removal from Referee.

Any party to a proceeding before a judicial referee is entitled to have the matter heard by
a district court judge, if written request therefor is filed by the party within
fiveseven days
after service of either the initiating documents or other notice informing the party of this
right.

Section 9. Standard of Conduct.

The Rules of Judicial Conduct must be observed by each judicial referee.

Section 10. Findings and Order.

(a) The findings and order of the judicial referee have the effect of anthe findings and
order of the district court until superseded by a written order of a district court judge.

(b) Copies of the findings and order together with written notice of the right of review must
be promptly served on the parties in accordance withunder
N.D.R.Civ.P. 5.

Section 11. Procedure for Review.

(a) A review of the findings and order may be ordered at any time by a district court judge
and must be ordered if a party files a written request for a review within fiveseven days after
service of the notice in Section 10(b). The request for review must state the reasons for the
review. A party requesting review must give notice to all other parties. PartiesA party
seeking to respond to a request for review must file theira response
within 1014 days after
service of notice of the request.

(b) The review by a district court judge must be a de novo review of the record. The district
court may:

(1) adopt the referee's findings;

(2) remand to the referee for additional findings; or

(3) reject the referee's findings.

(c) If the district court judge rejects the referee's findings, the court shall issue its own
findings of fact, with or without a hearing.

Dated:at Bismarck, N.D., October 23, 2003.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 8 was amended, effective _______________, to increase the time to request a
district court judge from five to seven days after service of initiating documents.

Section 11(a) was amended, effective _______________, to increase the time to request
a review from a district court judge from five to seven days after service of the right to
review. The time to respond to a request for review was increased from 10 to 14 days after
service of notice of the request.